Category Archives: Supreme Court

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Alabama Campaign Finance Case

April 24, 2017, 6:59 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Today without noted dissent the Supreme Court denied cert. in Alabama Democratic Conference v. Marshall, a First Amendment campaign finance challenge to Alabama law brought by Democrats (unusual these days). The cert petition (signed by Bob Bauer, Rick Pildes,… Continue reading

“‘Pivotal Moment’ for Democrats? Gerrymandering Heads to Supreme Court”

April 21, 2017, 7:42 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Michael Wines on the Wisconsin partisan gerrymandering case heading to SCOTUS.

Supreme Court Takes No Action Today in North Carolina Voting Case

April 17, 2017, 7:19 amSupreme Court, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Today’s order list means the Court has not ruled on whether or not to dismiss the cert. petition in the big North Carolina voting case, as the Democratic governor and AG ask, on the Republican legislature’s attempt to intervene in… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court as “Electoral Prize””

April 17, 2017, 7:10 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Bauer blogs.

In Surprise Move, Trump DOJ Defends McCain-Feingold’s Soft Money Limits at #SCOTUS

April 13, 2017, 9:03 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Via Bloomberg BNA, comes news of this motion to dismiss or affirm a challenge brought by the Republican Party of Louisiana to the soft money limits in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (the McCain-Feingold law). The Court upheld… Continue reading

“Gorsuch Arrives At The Supreme Court At A Crucial Moment For Voting Rights”

April 13, 2017, 7:53 amelection administration, Supreme Court, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

TPM: Less then a week into the job, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will have his first chance, behind closed doors at least, to weigh in on voting rights. When the justices meet Friday for their private conference, the first… Continue reading

Chief Justice Roberts at Best Half Right About Partisanship on #SCOTUS

April 12, 2017, 10:35 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

In remarks at a college yesterday, the Chief was right to say that the confirmation process is exceedingly partisan: “It is a real danger that the partisan hostility that people see in the political branches will affect the nonpartisan activity… Continue reading

“Enter Justice Gorsuch. What now for campaign finance reform?”

April 11, 2017, 3:10 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Blair Bowie blogs.

After Being “Rescheduled” Twice, NC Voting Case Now Back on for April 13 SCOTUS Conference, w Justice Gorusch

April 10, 2017, 9:45 amSupreme Court, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Docket. The first question is whether the state gets to withdraw the cert. petition, as the gov. and AG want and the Legislature does not.

“In the future, John Roberts could be the Supreme Court’s swing vote”

April 10, 2017, 7:33 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

I have written this oped for the LA Times. It begins: Even before the Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch as a justice of the Supreme Court, and before it “nuked” the filibuster for nominees, the Trump administration and conservatives were already … Continue reading

“Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation shattered political conventions. Here is why.”

April 10, 2017, 7:27 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Important Rick Pildes at WaPo’s The Monkey Cage: The Supreme Court confirmation wars will become less heated only if the stakes in individual appointments diminish. One way to bring that about would be a constitutional amendment limiting Supreme Court terms… Continue reading

“A Polarized Supreme Court, Growing More So”

April 9, 2017, 4:35 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak in the NYT: In losing the 2016 presidential election, Democrats may have given up the chance to change the balance of power on the Supreme Court for a generation. Judge Gorsuch is 49. If he serves as long… Continue reading

The Republican Supreme Court

April 7, 2017, 8:20 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

I’ve noted before that these days all the liberals on the Court have been appointed by Democratic presidents and all the conservatives on the Court by Republican presidents. This wasn’t true until Justice Stevens retired. With today’s confirmation of Neil… Continue reading

“Senate Republicans Deploy ‘Nuclear Option’ to Clear Path for Gorsuch”

April 7, 2017, 7:39 amlegislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: Senate Republicans on Thursday engineered a dramatic change in how the chamber confirms Supreme Court nominations, bypassing a Democratic blockade of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch in a move that will most likely reshape both the Senate and the court.… Continue reading